Geza I of Hungary

Geza I of Hungary (1044-25 April 1077) was the king of Hungary from 1074 to 1077, succeeding Solomon of Hungary and preceding Laszlo I of Hungary.

Biography
Geza was born in 1044 to the Catholic Hungarian House of Arpad, and he was the son of Bela I of Hungary and Adelaide of Poland. Geza's cousin Solomon inherited the throne on Bela's death with the assistance of the Holy Roman Empire, and Geza headed to the Kingdom of Poland and returned to Hungary with Polish reinforcements to stake his claim to the throne. In 1064 he and his brother Laszlo signed a treaty with Solomon in exchange for one-third of the country, their father's duchy. In 1071 relations became tense again, and on 14 March 1074 Geza won the Battle of Mogyorod against Solomon, acquiring the throne. During his rule, he sent forces to assist the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuk Empire, who declared a holy war for Charsianon. Geza's forces were defeated, so he personally led forces to fight at one point. In the last months of his reign, Geza attempted to negotiate peace with Solomon, who still held territory. Geza died in 1077, and because his sons were minors, the throne went to his brother Laszlo.